Cebu to Camotes Ferry (2026): Routes, Fares & Schedules

TL;DR: The main Cebu-to-Camotes crossing is the Danao City to Consuelo (Poro Island) RORO ferry, run by Jomalia Shipping, about 2 to 2.5 hours for ₱300–320 one way (roughly US$5.20–5.50). It’s the only route that reliably takes vehicles. Reach Danao Port from Cebu City’s North Bus Terminal by bus or van in about 1–1.5 hours. There’s no ferry directly from a Cebu City pier — Danao (north) or Liloan (south) are your two jump-off points. Verified July 2026.

If you’re heading to the Camotes Islands from mainland Cebu, the ferry is almost always part of the trip — there’s no bridge, and flights don’t serve the island group. This guide is narrowly about the boat itself: which port to leave from, what it costs, how long it takes, and how to actually get yourself (and your car, if you’re driving one) onto the ferry. If you want the full “how do I plan this whole trip” version with bus connections and itinerary advice, that’s a separate guide; this one is just the crossing.

The short version: almost everyone goes through Danao City, a coastal town about an hour and a half north of Cebu City, where Jomalia Shipping runs a RORO ferry straight to Consuelo, the main port on Poro Island — the gateway island of the Camotes group. There’s a secondary route out of Liloan, Cebu, further south, and occasional fastcraft service, but Danao is the workhorse route this guide focuses on.

At a Glance: Cebu to Camotes Ferry Routes

Route	Operator	Type	Passenger Fare	Travel Time
Danao City → Consuelo, Poro	Jomalia Shipping	RORO (vehicles + passengers)	₱300 economy / ₱320 air-con (~US$5.20–5.50)	~2–2.5 hrs
Liloan, Cebu → Poro	Super Shuttle Ferry / Aznar Shipping	RORO (vehicles + passengers)	Confirm locally	~2 hrs
Mactan or Liloan → Consuelo	OceanJet (seasonal)	Fastcraft (passengers only)	Confirm locally	~1–1.5 hrs

Verified July 2026. Schedules and fares shift with fuel costs, weather, and season — confirm before you travel.

How Do You Get From Cebu to Camotes by Ferry?

Take the Jomalia Shipping RORO ferry from Danao City to Consuelo, Poro Island — it’s the main, most reliable crossing. Danao sits on Cebu’s east coast, roughly 40 kilometers north of Cebu City, and its port has direct sailings to Consuelo several times a day. Poro Island connects to the rest of the Camotes group (Pacijan and Ponson) by short bridges and local boats, so once you land in Consuelo you’re effectively in the Camotes Islands.

What’s the Danao–Consuelo Schedule?

Jomalia typically runs four to five sailings a day in each direction:

Danao → Consuelo	Consuelo → Danao
5:30 AM	5:30 AM
8:30 AM	8:30 AM
11:30 AM (some days)	—
2:30 PM	2:30 PM
5:30 PM	5:30 PM

Boarding gates close about 30 minutes before departure. Jomalia has also announced periodic fare adjustments (a fare reduction took effect mid-2026) and adds extra sailings around Holy Week and other peak travel weekends, so this timetable can move — check Jomalia Shipping’s Facebook page or a booking aggregator like Barkota or TripHappy for the schedule on your actual travel date.

How Do You Get to Danao Port From Cebu City?

Ride a bus or van from Cebu City’s North Bus Terminal to Danao City, then walk or tricycle to the port. The North Bus Terminal (near SM City Cebu) has buses heading north roughly every hour; ask the conductor to drop you at Danao Port specifically, not just the city proper. Expect:

• Bus: ~1 to 1.5 hours, ₱50–60
• V-hire (van for hire): ~1.5 to 2 hours depending on traffic, ₱80–120
• Private car or taxi: ~1 to 1.5 hours via the Cebu North Coastal Road

Build in buffer time — Metro Cebu traffic on the way out of the city is the main variable, not the highway itself. If you’re catching the 5:30 AM sailing, you’ll want to leave Cebu City well before dawn or stay overnight near Danao the night before.

Are There Other Ways to Reach Camotes by Boat?

Yes — Liloan, Cebu (south of Mandaue, not to be confused with Liloan in southern Leyte) is the other main jump-off point, served by Super Shuttle Ferry and Aznar Shipping’s RORO boats to Poro Island, and occasionally by OceanJet fastcraft. There have also been Jomalia sailings advertised out of Mactan on some schedules, though availability has been inconsistent — treat any Mactan departure as something to verify the week of travel rather than count on.

There’s no ferry directly from a Cebu City pier. Both Danao and Liloan are satellite towns you have to travel to first. If speed matters more than cost and a fastcraft happens to be running, it can cut the crossing closer to an hour to an hour and a half — but the RORO service out of Danao is the one that runs reliably year-round and is the only one that reliably takes a vehicle.

How Much Does the Camotes Ferry Cost?

Budget roughly ₱300–320 (about US$5.20–5.50) one way for a passenger seat on the Danao–Consuelo RORO ferry. Economy seating runs about ₱300 and the air-conditioned section about ₱320, per Jomalia’s 2026 schedule. Seniors, PWDs, and students typically get a discount at the ticket window — bring ID. There’s also a baggage allowance (around 50 kg) with an excess charge per extra bag, so pack light if you’re island-hopping with a lot of gear.

Can You Bring a Car or Motorcycle on the Ferry?

Yes — this is exactly what makes the Danao route useful if you want your own wheels on Camotes. As a RORO vessel, the ferry loads vehicles through a ramp at the bow or stern, same as inter-island car ferries elsewhere in the Philippines. Vehicle tariffs (sedan, van, motorcycle, truck) aren’t consistently published and have historically run well above the passenger fare, so call Jomalia Shipping directly or check at the Danao port office for the current rate before you commit to driving over — pricing and the exact loading process are easier to confirm by phone than to guess from old blog posts. Arrive earlier than you would as a foot passenger, since vehicle loading takes longer and gets prioritized before walk-on boarding closes.

How Do You Book Tickets?

Buy a walk-up ticket at the Danao terminal, or reserve ahead through a travel agent site if you’re traveling during a peak weekend. Jomalia doesn’t run its own consumer booking app, but aggregators like Barkota, TripHappy, and 12Go list the route and can process a reservation for you. For most weekday trips, walking up an hour or two before your preferred sailing is enough. During Holy Week, the Sinulog long weekend, or Christmas break, book ahead or arrive well early — locals and vehicles fill the earlier sailings first.

Tips for the Crossing

• Bring cash. Ticket windows and the terminal canteen aren’t set up for cards.
• Sit outside or near a window if you get seasick — the Camotes Sea can chop up in the afternoon, especially during the amihan (northeast monsoon) season from around November to February.
• Check the weather the night before. Sailings get suspended during storm signals or rough sea advisories; Jomalia posts updates on Facebook.
• Confirm the return schedule when you arrive, since island-side departures can shift by season.

The Honest Take

The Danao ferry isn’t glamorous — it’s a working RORO boat, not a cruise, and the economy section can get warm and crowded on a full afternoon sailing. But it’s cheap, it runs daily, and it’s the route that lets you actually bring a car or scooter to explore Camotes properly, which matters because the islands are spread out and public transport between beaches is thin. If your main goal is speed and you don’t need a vehicle, keep an eye out for a running fastcraft service out of Liloan or Mactan — when it’s operating, it roughly halves the crossing time. Otherwise, budget the full morning around the Danao ferry, treat the 1.5-hour ride out from Cebu City as part of the trip, and don’t schedule anything tight on the other side in case the sailing runs late.

Sources

• Jomalia Shipping Corporation — operator schedules and fares
• Pamasahe.com — Danao-Consuelo Jomalia Shipping route
• CebuInsider — Camotes Island Ferry Schedule Guide
• TripHappy — Cebu to Camotes Ferry Guide
• Schedules and fares verified against 2025–2026 operator and aggregator reporting; confirm current sailings before you travel. Verified July 2026.

Once you’re across, most travelers base themselves near Santiago Bay or one of the island’s beach towns — see our where to stay in Camotes picks and the full how to get to Camotes Islands from Cebu guide for bus connections and full trip planning. If you’re departing from a different Cebu pier for another island entirely, check our Cebu pier and port guide first. Ready to lock in the crossing — compare Camotes tours and transfers on Klook before you go.